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Thursday, May 17, 2012

SMALL SCALE HOG RAISING: STILL POPULAR AMONG ILONGGO FARMERS

Hog raising is still a popular economic
activity among farmers in the province of Iloilo. Rural households
raise a between one to 20 heads of fattener or finisher pigs to
augment income from other farming activities. Many of the families
engaged in small scale hog raising say that the income they get from
the pigs may be meager, but the animals also act as the proverbial
piggy banks. They spend some money for the daily feed of the pigs but
this investment is recovered when the pigs are sold. Part of the
sales is again invested in some piglets for another round of “piggy
banking”.

Common Breeds Raised:

The common breeds raised by small scale
hog farmers are the Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire and
Berkshire, all of which are foreign breeds imported either by
government in the past or lately by the commercial hog farmers who
value feed conversion efficiency as a means to improve the profit
margin. However at the small farmers' level, it is seldom that the
breeds are pure since they have limited access to pedigreed lines.
Mostly they can only buy crossbred piglets from other small hog
farmers.

The Large White as the name connotes,
are white skinned and haired pigs with erect ears. They are preferred
for their fast growth and efficient conversion as well as their
relatively good mothering ability. Mostly, the Large White breeds
available to small farmers are already crossed to other breeds but
still maintain their basic features such as the white color, erect
ears and other features that distinguish the breed.

The Landrace is another white breed but
with drooping ears. Often, they have longer bodies than the Large
White which for most farmers are preferred since they would have more
prominent teats, an indication that it can nurse more piglets. Like
the Large White, the Landrace is also a prolific breed and a fast
grower.

The Duroc is a brown colored pig, noted
also for its fast growth but is meatier or lesser fat than the white
breeds. These are often used to cross breed with the white breeds so
that it is easier for the farmer to record their genetics. This breed
is often used as the male line, meaning they are preferred as boars
where the white breeds are used as the sows or females.

The Berkshires and the Hampshires are
black colored pigs but the latter has a white band across their backs
near the front legs. Both breeds are also prolific, fast growers and
meatier and like the Duroc are also preferred as male lines to cross
with the white breeds.

There are still native strains grown in
the rural areas but they are gradually being phased out in favor of
the newer breeds. However these native strains have an advantage of
being quite resistant to disease attack and their ability to survive
and grow even when fed with low quality and indigenous feed sources.
Many farmers have also crossbred the exotic strains to improve the
traditional breeds in terms of feed conversion and faster growth rate
but have retained their resistance to diseases as well as the ability
to subsist on indigenous feed sources.

Housing:

Most of the small scale farmers raising
pigs build pens or houses in the simplest way possible using mostly
local materials such as bamboo. However for those with more
resources, they use hollow blocks and cement to build stronger and
longer lasting pens. Whatever materials used, the usual practice is
to allocate about 2 to 3 square meters of space per head of pig. The
logic behind this is for the animals to have enough space to roam
around but with limited movement so as not to waste energy which can
otherwise be converted to body mass and weight. Many farmers have
already adopted concrete flooring for better cleaning and maintenance
but there are still farmers who don't have enough resources to spend
for upgraded housing and still adopt bamboo floors for their pigs.

Many farmers are now adopting newer
housing approaches even at the small scale level. They have accepted
the concept of pigs as an integral part of the farm system and aside
from providing food and additional income, they produce another
valuable resource: their manure which is a rich source of organic
matter and nutrients for plants. So now, most pens are being designed
with waste disposal systems, whether basic or sophisticated, which
traps the manure and waste water for use as fertilizers. For more
information on how to build better pig houses, please visit:
http://www.mixph.com/2010/02/hogswine-housing-construction-tips.html.

For those farmers with more resources,
they also build biogas systems that uses the wastes to generate
methane gas for household cooking. The basic model now being adopted
nationwide use polyethylene tubing built on designs that had been
found to be successful here and abroad. A complete polyethylene
biogas digester and cooking system would cost about P10,000 in
materials and labor. A complete design and how-to manual can be
accessed at:
http://www.cedecap.org.pe/uploads/biblioteca/7bib_arch.pdf
which had been prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization and
had been implemented successfully in Viet Nam. Another source book
that can provide information on how to build biogas systems:
http://www.tsl.uu.se/uhdsg/Publications/Stoddard_Thesis.pdf.

Feeds and Feeding:

Even rural households raising pigs now
resort to buying commercial rations. These rations come in both mash
and pellet forms and are considered complete meals for the intended
age of the pigs. Piglets are given Hog Starter rations which contain
18-20 % crude protein, growers are fed with Grower Feed which contain
16-18 % protein while finishers and breeders are fed with 14-16 %
crude protein. These rations are also enriched with complete vitamins
and minerals needed by the pigs in their various stages of growth.

Choose brands of commercial feeds which
have been known for their quality. Dubious brands of feeds may be
cheap but their nutritive value is low and may cause more harm than
good. They will cause stunting and even lead to diseases since the
immune system of unhealthy pigs are affected with poor nutrition.
Also stick to your brand of choice until harvest or market size.
Shifting from one feed brand to another may cause pigs to go off as
each brand uses different type of feed ingredients and flavoring.
Pigs are a creature of habit and would be attracted to feeds that
they are familiar with.

However there are still rural
households that also feed their pigs with indigenous plants and other
feed stuff like the golden apple snail (kuhol), considered a major
pest of rice and wetlands. Land based pests like the African giant
snails area also collected. Where available, small fishes are
harvested from ponds and streams and added to the ration. These are
cooked until soft and fed to the pigs.

African giant snails (Achatina
fulica)is
considered as one of the most destructive pests of terrestrial
plants. They are hardy and can survive in extreme tropical
conditions. Many studies had been conducted on its eradication and
still the pest has survived. One mode of control for this pest is by
consumption. In East Africa where this is indigenous, this is one
source of food for people and animals. First detected in the early
1930s in Panay, this snail has become a pest but had been converted
into a resource by locals who have collected them for use as feeds
for pigs. Interviews with rural women in Brgy Moroboro, Dingle which
is densely covered with trees and other vegetation, they usually
gather Africal giant snails, locally called “taklong” in the mid
morning in ingenious traps set around their gardens. Please visit
this site for more info on snails:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/pest_detection/downloads/pra/afulicapra.pdf.

These
simple traps are just holes dug about 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm and half
filled with rotting fruits and sweet smelling vegetation. Banana,
jack fruit (langka) and papaya peels are favorite trap baits. In a
heavily infested area, it is normal to gather several kilograms of
snaild daily until the population is greatly reduced or eradicated.
Often, these women lay several traps so that they can gather enough
for several days of feed. The extra snails they cannot cook for the
day are placed in cages with and fed with succulent leaves so that
they fatten while waiting to be queued for cooking. The usual feeding
practice is to cook about a kilogram of snails per head per day.
After the first boiling, the shells of the snails are removed and the
meat is added to the batch of vegetables being cooked. This
proportion provides adequate protein for the growing pigs.

Local plants like kangkong, Palawan,
gabi, banana stalks and other edible plants are usually chopped and
added to the snails and fish. Starch and carbohydrates sources are
also added for flavor and as the major source of energy. This local
feeding method saves on the cost of feeds. Family labor is not
usually factored in as an expense. Gabi and Palawan tubers are rich
in carbohydrates and the usual practice of rural women is to chop
these plants finely and boil these together with the snails and other
protein sources Once these are almost cooked, rice bran and broken
rice is added. This provides a traditional balanced ration that had
been practiced in the locality for generations. (to be continued)

Article 2:

SOME TIPS FOR A PROFITABLE SMALL SCALE
HOG RAISING PROJECT

Having raised a few heads of pigs
continuously for years, my siblings and some cousins have earned and
saved money from pigs. When we were in school, we usually have a few
pigs in the backyard pen ready for sale when the need for cash arose.
We also had slaughter pigs for fiestas and special occasions which
also saved us money where instead of buying meat or pork, we simply
slaughtered a pig. We usually lay aside the meat we will need for the
occasion, salt and store a few more kilograms (we had no refrigerator
then) and sell the rest to neighbors for cash. Through the years, we
learned a few tricks on making money from the pigs without so much
monetary investment, just sweat and time equity which we had plenty
then. Here are a few tips, we can offer:

Design your pens to suit your
system. We usually designed our simple pens with the purpose of
harvesting the manure later for fertilizer. We once experimented on
biogas but the initial investment had been high and we quit after a
few years. However, a good pen design will not only make management
easier but one can also earn extra income from the organic
fertilizer produced by the pigs;

The pen design should also
consider the potential of adding an earthworm or vermiculture
component where the quality of the manure is even improved or
enhanced. A bag of 50 kilograms of vermi-cast sells for about
P250.00 while the basic manure sells for only about P50.00 per;

Identify the raiser who breeds the
best pigs in the community. His piglets would usually be the most in
demand and his pigs; reputation as the fastest growers will be
known. While the sows are still gestating (pregnant) already
approach the raiser to reserve the largest of the litter even if you
have to pay the premium of a few hundred pesos more. Pay in advance
if needed.

You may also approach the owner of
the boar service and offer to buy his share. The usual practice in
rural communities for for somebody to offer boar services. This boar
service is usually skilled in birthing, vaccination and other
livestock skills. The boar service is offered the first choice of
the litter and usually this is the biggest and the most prolific of
the lot. Offer him a price he can't refuse;

Clean and disinfect the pens after
each round of pig raising. It is best to apply the all-in-all-out
approach since this allows you to clean the pens thoroughly, harvest
the manure for the farm or garden and repair the facilities that
broke down during the growing cycle.

Adopt the feeding system of the
piglet source for a few weeks, gradually shifting to your own method
once the piglets have adopted to your place. Find a store which
supplies the same brand of feeds and consistently get your supply of
feeds from it;

If you decide to feed your pigs
with indigenous ration, adopt the simplified method of supplying the
complete nutritive requirements. Our rule of thumb was for about 2
scoops (liter container) of protein source (fresh weight), 2 scoops
starch source and 4 to 5 scoops of fresh vegetables, cooked together
until tender. Protein sources are usually the taklong and the kuhol
which we gather using simple traps both on dry land and in the
paddies;

Regular feeding is a must for
pigs. They usually get stressed and get noisy once it is past their
mealtime. Extra movements and uneasiness as a result of hunger will
stress them and make them prone to disease attacks. Provide
commercial vitamin-mineral preparations but avoid antibiotic-laced
products so that in the event of disease attack, antibiotics will be
effective;

Maintain records so that you can
keep track of your expenses and income and the age of your
finishers. The usual growing period of finishers fed on commercial
rations is 100-120 days which by then they have reached a marketable
weight of 85-90 kilograms. Growing the pigs longer than that will
mean a loss of up to P20 per day since the pigs have grown less
efficient in converting the feeds into meat. Sell your pigs whether
they have reached marketable weight after your 130th day;

If you are using indigenous
ration, you may opt to sell your pigs later especially when the
price is high. After all, you did not spend much on the feeds;

Treat the backyard endeavor as a
small business so that somehow your “piggy bank” earns a higher
return on investment;

1 comment:

Regular feeding is a must is a must for pigs.Farmers choose brands of commercial feeds which have been known for their quality.If opting for cheaper brands, the nutritional value must be checked. Different type of swine feeds are available in bulk or bagged custom mixes.